Rating: 
Summary: Incredibly interesting. Can't put it down.
Review: A long-standing discussion in our home is just how much our pets can really understand what is going on around them-- and how intelligent they really are. Tho' this book talks more about the intelligence of traditionally wild animals, it gives incredible insight into how and why animals act. The stories were fascinating-- and I found myself laughing out loud upon reading some of them. (It is amazing how much like humans some animals can be). And the author's ability to mix theory with the anecdotes is well done. I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in learning a little bit more about the other creatures we share this planet with. Don't be scared by the fact that it is an obscure book dealing with a scientific topic-- the author makes it a great, fascinating read!!
Rating:
Summary: Among the 10 most enjoyable books I have ever read.
Review: A series of riveting anecdotes about animals evidencing unusual intelligence,behavior or resourcefulness in a most captivating prose style. The stories make you wonder if animals are anywhere as "dumb" as they are suppposed to be.
Rating: 
Summary: A Superficial Look At Animal Intelligence
Review: Although I am inclined to agree that many mammals and birds exhibiit intelligence, I doubt whether Linden makes a truly compelling case. On one hand it is a delightful, whimsical look at human and animal interactions, and here Linden excels in telling some fascinating tales. Among the highlights are hilarious episodes of orangutans successfully outwitting their zoological keepers; the funniest is how an ape dropped a bucket of water on one unsuspecting keeper. I was also intrigued by how some animals have coped with woe. On the other hand, it is a book adrift, almost mired, in anecdotes. I wonder whether Linden could have made a more persuasive case if he had taken a scientific view of animal intelligence by exploring its evolutionary implications; noting how natural selection has acted to promote the "evolutionary" success of this trait among social animals such as mammals and birds. To his credit, Eugene Linden does mention some important research that explores the possibility of sentience, most notably University of Arizona behavioral ecologist Irene Pepperberg's long-term study of Alex, her African gray parrot. The last two pages of Linden's book are an unsung homage to Charles Darwin's "On the Origin of Species", echoing the latter's final page; a plea to preserve the environment that sounds mystical, almost New Age, in tone. Linden's journalistic prose is far from the literary elegance shown by distinguished biologists (and writers) Stephen Jay Gould, Edward O. Wilson and George C. Williams. Anyone wishing to read profound commentary on animal intelligence and the behavior of social animals should read Wilson's "Sociobiology" (However, take a look as well at Stephen Jay Gould's critiques in his essay collections and Philip Kitcher's work for dissenting views of sociobiology.) and Williams' books. At best, "The Parrot's Lament" is a very superficial look at animal intelligence; at worst, a new age adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's "Just So" tales.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining tales of animal behavior
Review: Eugene Linden's "Parrot's Lament" is a charming collection of animal anecdotes. The author's intent is to show that the human being is not the only animal that demonstrates mental and communicative abilities. He avoids the contention which surrounds scientific debates on the issues by simply recounting stories from his own experiences and from those of zoo keepers and naturalists, people whose only interest is in the animals they care for and not in scientific laurels or criticism. The only caveat, as he himself points out, is that because "it's unscientific...no matter how persuasive the material, one cannot use the stories and examples as proof of anything (p. xvii)." For those of us who are already convinced that animals are far brighter than most people give them credit for, this is not an important issue anyway. The book is divided into sections, including: games and humor; trade and barter; deception, mind reading and mental chess; cooperation in work, conflict and healing; tools and intelligence; escapes from captivity; empathy and heroism; and untouched nature. Some of the material is repeated under different chapters, but when it is, it's presented from a new perspective which enlarges understanding of animal behavior. My favorite stories are some of the orangutan escape episodes, and some of the tales of trust and friendship. The book certainly gives the reader a sense of what is being lost as our natural world is being destroyed by overpopulation, encroachment and exploitation. Since destruction of habitat seems to have taken on a life of its own these days, one almost wonders if it is unstoppable irrespective of our best intentions or of the ultimate negative impact it will have on our own future. This was particularly apparent in the last chapter of the book which deals with the Ndoki rain forest of the Congo. As was pointed out in Matt Ridley's book, The Red Queen, the incremental increase in benefit to the individual who causes the destruction of the environment increases the likelihood that the destruction will occur despite the overall long term loss to society. And this is often so, even though the individual beneficiary of the immediate good will also suffer with the rest of society. The loss of viable commonly held fields to over grazing during the Middle Ages was the example cited by Ridley (p. 91), but any other major loss of shared wealth could be substituted as well. As Linden points out, perhaps the very intellect of which we are so proud will be our ultimate undoing! We certainly don't seem to have learned from the lessons of our history! Altogether a delightfully readable book.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining tales of animal behavior
Review: Eugene Linden's "Parrot's Lament" is a charming collection of animal anecdotes. The author's intent is to show that the human being is not the only animal that demonstrates mental and communicative abilities. He avoids the contention which surrounds scientific debates on the issues by simply recounting stories from his own experiences and from those of zoo keepers and naturalists, people whose only interest is in the animals they care for and not in scientific laurels or criticism. The only caveat, as he himself points out, is that because "it's unscientific...no matter how persuasive the material, one cannot use the stories and examples as proof of anything (p. xvii)." For those of us who are already convinced that animals are far brighter than most people give them credit for, this is not an important issue anyway. The book is divided into sections, including: games and humor; trade and barter; deception, mind reading and mental chess; cooperation in work, conflict and healing; tools and intelligence; escapes from captivity; empathy and heroism; and untouched nature. Some of the material is repeated under different chapters, but when it is, it's presented from a new perspective which enlarges understanding of animal behavior. My favorite stories are some of the orangutan escape episodes, and some of the tales of trust and friendship. The book certainly gives the reader a sense of what is being lost as our natural world is being destroyed by overpopulation, encroachment and exploitation. Since destruction of habitat seems to have taken on a life of its own these days, one almost wonders if it is unstoppable irrespective of our best intentions or of the ultimate negative impact it will have on our own future. This was particularly apparent in the last chapter of the book which deals with the Ndoki rain forest of the Congo. As was pointed out in Matt Ridley's book, The Red Queen, the incremental increase in benefit to the individual who causes the destruction of the environment increases the likelihood that the destruction will occur despite the overall long term loss to society. And this is often so, even though the individual beneficiary of the immediate good will also suffer with the rest of society. The loss of viable commonly held fields to over grazing during the Middle Ages was the example cited by Ridley (p. 91), but any other major loss of shared wealth could be substituted as well. As Linden points out, perhaps the very intellect of which we are so proud will be our ultimate undoing! We certainly don't seem to have learned from the lessons of our history! Altogether a delightfully readable book.
Rating:
Summary: Monkeys are smarter!
Review: Fantastic! We humans think we are so smart; well guess what, the four legged kingdoms aren't so far behind and are even ahead. This book is a delightful read, with pleasant prose and artful anecdotes. I took the intelligence of monkeys and other animals for granted, but I now know that chimps can easily beat me at poker. I am only halfway through Linden's matsterful stories and don't want them to end.
Rating:
Summary: We are not the only intelligent beings on this planet.
Review: For all animal lovers that know for a fact that animals have a great deal of intelligence, this book is a breath of fresh air. Eugene Linden has written a fabulous book that shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that all of us animal lovers are correct: animals do think and feel and show emotions. Through all of Mr. Linden's research, conversations, and observations; he has written a heart-felt and very illuminating book on the facts of animal intellect. this is an utterly fabulous book and I highly recommend it to anyone!
Rating:
Summary: Witty and fulfilling
Review: I enjoyed this book of anecdotes about animals behaving in smart, original, creative, and sometimes heroic ways. It was written in a very accessible style, and I enjoyed the author's sense of humor. The book was well-divided into sections: games and humor; trade and barter; deception; mind reading and mental chess; cooperation in work, conflict and healing; tools and intelligence; escapes; empathy and heroism; and a place where humans are the novelty. I would've liked to have read more about the last section, about animals who have no fear of humans in a virtually untouched jungle in Africa. The only thing that puzzled me about the book was the rather apologetic tone regarding animal intelligence. The tone tries to pacify scientists and other people who aren't convinced that animals possess intelligence. I have never doubted that they do. I'm sure most people who have pets or work around animals feel the same way. It's too bad that we have to be apologetic about believing that the important life forms that share our planet have the capacity to think and feel. As the author points out in the last chapter, based on what we're doing to the planet, it's sometimes questionable which species is really the one without intelligence.
Rating:
Summary: A thoroughly delightful book
Review: I happened to hear the author of this wonderful book on NPR and ordered it immediately based on the totally amazing story he told about the leopard that is pictured on the book jacket. What a great find! These animal stories are thoroughly entertaining and enlightening about animal behavior. I'll never look at my pet cat the same again!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I have a bird myself, and though she doesn't display any higher intelligence, these stories were humerous and fascinating. The tales of love and escape and the human qualities displayed by animals were touching, too. This book made me do something not not very many other books have done; I laughed out loud. It's a great book for those who have pets or are just interested in tales of animal empathy, deception, and cooperation and intelligence which are sometimes hysterical.
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